The invention is generally in the field of power tools. More specifically, the invention is in the field of miter saw linear movement assemblies (LMAs). A miter saw includes a linear movement assembly to permit the circular blade to move along a vertical plane, and rigidly preventing sideways movement, as this could cause the rapidly rotating blade to contact the sides of the slot in the work piece support, with potentially disastrous results.
Currently available LMAs typically have many shortcomings. The most common type of LMA is the sliding mechanism, wherein a set of rods moves in and out of a set of rod receptacles to move the saw along a rigid linear path. The sliding mechanism takes up a lot of volume behind the saw, causing the entire miter saw assembly to take up an undesirably large volume of space. In a cramped workshop, this may be a real problem.
Moreover, the air in a workshop in which a miter saw is used tends to become thick with saw dust, so that sliding mechanism regularly fills up with detritus, making the inside components grind together. This results in the sliding mechanism jamming up, which is a dangerous condition, and increases the frequency at which the LMA must be serviced.